Abstract
This article reflects on a tried and tested workflow for vocabulary building using the iPad apps Popplet, Pages and Puppet Pals. It will outline how these apps can be used together to help students brainstorm related lexical items, draw from this vocabulary to create dialogues with guidance from the teacher, and finally to act out these dialogues by choosing characters, props and backdrops, and recording their voices using the unique movie-making app Puppet Pals. This workflow has proven to be successful with female Emirati students completing the Academic Bridge Program at Zayed University, and its student-centered approach to learning is also transferable to other subject areas. Survey results are presented which indicate that this workflow is a motivating and memorable way to develop vocabulary/ concept knowledge.
Highlights
Perhaps the most important and most tangible area of learning through the medium of a second language in any subject area is that of vocabulary and terminology
The approach taken for the workflow in the example above was to centre the Popplet mind map around the topic of Interior Design and ask the students in groups to choose eight words from the 33 they had been taught
This article shows the advantage that can be gained from combining a number of apps together on an iPad or mobile device in order to maximize the potential and strengths of each app. This is just one of many workflows that can be created on the iPad, but we believe this one can be used in a number of different ways in teaching vocabulary in English Language Teaching (ELT) as well as other disciplines
Summary
Perhaps the most important and most tangible area of learning through the medium of a second language in any subject area is that of vocabulary and terminology. In learning a new subject at college/university, students need to master the terminology of their field as well as language for academic purposes (Turlik, 2013). They normally meet this vocabulary in the context of reading or listening about their subject, but new terms may be presented and explained directly; in English teaching, traditionally new vocabulary in textbooks is often presented in the form of lists followed by a gap-fill or matching activity. The final concept underlying our workflow was that learning through integrated skill use is better for students, so a range of speaking, listening, reading, and writing elements were included. The key concepts above encapsulate a student-centered approach, which is at the core of our workflow
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